Thomas Cook flight bound for London makes emergency landing after colliding with 50 STORKS

A PLANE packed packed with passengers was forced to make an emergency landing after smashing into a flock of around 50 STORKS.

This terrifying mid-air collision damaged the engines and landing gear of the 170-passenger Airbus A321 heading to London.

The aircraft had just taken off from Banjul airport in Gambia on November 8.

Thomas Cook flight attendant Kayleigh Loveridge writing on Facebook said: "We took off, and on our climb we went through a flock of approximately 50 storks, causing a bird strike to both engines.

"Both engines were damaged and not functioning in the way they should have.

"We heard big bangs, felt the entire aircraft shake, shortly followed by one of our emergency commands from the flight deck."

Miss Loveridge uploaded images of the blood-splattered plane after the bird strike.

The Aviation Herald reported a number of birds were sucked into the engines - 13 were later recovered.

The plane climbed to safety at 7,000 feet and entered a hold before returning to Banjul just 45 minutes after departing.

It added the crew were forced to shut down one of the engines.

A spokesman for Thomas Cook told the Evening Standard: "The pilots and cabin crew responded extremely professionally according to their training and the aircraft returned safely to Banjul.

"The customers were accommodated overnight in Banjul and flown home on a different plane the following morning, while the damaged aircraft was repaired and arrived back in the UK last night.

"We apologise for the unavoidable delay to their return journey.”

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